Wed, Aug 14, 2013 - Page 10

A pair of hot pink sneakers worn by Texan senator Wendy Davis during her near 11-hour speech to talk down abortion legislation have become the bestselling shoe on Amazon.com and an unlikely feminist symbol.

Known as a keen runner, Davis took her preparations seriously before taking to the floor of the Texas senate to make a speech lasting nearly 11 hours during which rules prevented her from taking a break or leaning on furniture for support.

During her epic address, Davis was equipped with the trainers, a back brace and according to recent reports, a catheter, to help her persevere with her filibuster until the legislative session was eventually timed out and the bill, which would effectively close dozens of Texas abortion clinics, was significantly delayed.

Since the speech, the web page for the “rouge red” trainers has been inundated with politically charged reviews. Many reviewers have commented how perfect the trainers are for “kicking [Texas governor] Rick Perry’s ass,” or how the trainers were “guaranteed to outrun patriarchy.”

It is not the first time that mainstream commercial brands have entered the fray of America’s culture wars. Last summer, the fast food outlet Chick-fil-A was inundated with tens of thousands of orders after its CEO made comments hostile to gay marriage.